Growing a Forest, Step by Step
by Enkida
Summary: The Demonic King Chases His Wife / 一世倾城 fanfiction. "A flower you plant may not necessarily bloom; but the seed of a tree you happen to drop may grow into a forest." Nangong Liuyun leaves Beichen Ying to watch over Su Luo while he cultivates. Beichen Ying chooses to court death, as usual. AU starting from chapter 675-676. [ABANDONED]
1. Chapter 1

**Growing A Forest, Step by Step**

 _"A flower you plant may not necessarily bloom; but the seed of a tree you happen to drop may grow into a forest." - Chinese Proverb_

Author's Foreword & Disclaimer

This is a fanfiction based on the light novel "The Demonic King Chases His Wife," aka 一世倾城 by Su Xiao Nuan. This story takes place between chapters 675-676 and veers off into an AU from there. I can't read Chinese and sadly haven't mastered the nuances of the language and culture. Therefore, this story may sound jarringly western. I'll do my best to not obliterate the cultural differences. This work is un-betaed; the short chapters are on purpose to keep the feel of the light novel. Leave a review if you enjoy reading this, please!

一世倾城 is the intellectual property of Su Xiao Nuan; I claim no rights nor ownership to any part of it. This is a work of fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and to show appreciation for the original work. No financial gain or profit is being made from this work, nor will any be sought in the future.

Please see footnotes for the glossary of untranslatable Chinese terminology.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

"Brother! Sister-in-law!"

Su Luo looked up at the rowdy shout; the small smile lifting her lips didn't reach her eyes. "It looks like we'll have to continue this later," she said coolly to Nangong Liuyun, whose face was thunderous. A small part of her exhaled heavily, glad that she managed to keep the relief from her voice. While Nangong's affection was genuine, his reactions were often childish and overbearing. How could it be otherwise, when almost no one could oppose his fearsome strength? It was the way of things; the strong took what they wanted, and the weak ate the bitter tears of defeat.

Her lip curled even higher. _I won't be weak forever, Nangong. And I certainly will never be defeated._ Then she checked her expression and turned her attention to their unexpected guests. The sudden distraction from Nangong's amorous overtures was secretly welcomed in her heart. Nangong seemed to think forcibly pulling on the sprout of her blossoming love for him would encourage it to grow. It was, she thought as she tugged at her sore wrists still trapped in his grip, often smothering.

Reluctantly, Nangong Liuyun released her and directed his black stare onto the three interlopers invading the courtyard. "Beichen Ying. Is there a good reason my brothers chose to interrupt Luo Luo's cultivation?"

Lan Xuan and An Ye Ming stepped back automatically, already sweating under the force of Nangong's fierce glare. Beichen Ying was similarly affected, but he pasted a wide smile onto his face and held out his hands in an offering of peace, pushing towards them.

"Now now! Don't be like that, brother. It hardly looked like the two of you were cultivating anyway. Or is this a dual cultivation method you were practicing, hmm? Were you about to share a new secret technique? Are you sure little Lan-ér is ready for a demonstration of such activities?" His eyes cracked open with a gleam of mischief as he regarded the two lovebirds; Su Luo huffed at him noisily.

 _Beichen Ying! Don't encourage him, ah!_ Beichen Ying's smile only broadened in response; it was as though he could smell trouble, and was unable to resist poking at it. He missed his targets, however, instead downing an innocent bystander with the collateral damage of his joke.

Lan Xuan's face flushed even redder than it was before. "Brother! Don't be so crude!" Even as he spoke, his wide eyes fixed on Su Luo and his hand shot up towards his nose which released a small trickle of blood.

Laughing, An Ye Ming recovered and shoved Lan Xuan in the shoulder. "Why don't you just clap your hands over your ears if you don't want to hear it? Brother Nangong can cultivate whenever and however he wishes to anyway. Although I do wonder what Sister-in-law has to say about the matter…?"

"Hmm. Not a bad idea," Nangong Liuyun said offhandedly to Beichen Ying, whose smile faltered.

"Hey, Nangong, you aren't really - " Now Beichen Ying was beginning to sweat once more; this time the Su Luo's gaze had landed on him, and the level of chill she pinned him under made Nangong Liuyun's regard seem like a bracing layer of morning dew.

Ignoring the Beichen Ying's protests and Lan Xuan's now-vigorously guttering nose, Nangong Liuyun turned to Su Luo with a gleam in his eye. "Well, little Luo Luo? You never know until you try." He was already leaning in with his lips puckered!

Su Luo blew out a breath and barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. When did this guy ever give up? Did he really think she was going to drape herself all over him like a fawning puppy in the presence of his friends? Did he think she'd do that for him even if they were alone?

… well, it _was_ Nangong. Who still had a look of hopeful expectation on his face as he waited for her answer.

"Try to rein in those lecherous fantasies," she told him crossly, pressing the palm of her hand directly into his face and pushing him away. "You may be cruel to your friends, but I'm not interested in making Lan Xuan lose any more blood."

Lan Xuan gave her a small wave of thanks as he tilted his head back and wiped his nose off on the small scrap of silk An Ye Ming had silently handed him.

Seeing a chance to explain their visit while Nangong Liuyun was distracted, Beichen Ying threw himself towards Nangong Liuyun and Su Luo...

* * *

Footnotes / Glossary

"Dual cultivation technique" means "have sex to raise your levels together" here. From what I've seen, it often, but doesn't always, mean raising your level via sex. It does always require two people, though.

Chinese names list family name first, then first name last. Generally unless very close it seems people refer to one another by their full name, or their last name, rather than their first name. So Jane Doe would be, in Chinese, "Doe Jane" and you'd refer to her in casual conversation as "Doe" rather than "Jane."

Also, and this may be specific to women, for those really close (like a boyfriend, or a father) sometimes the first name repeated twice is used as a pet name. So Jane Doe's boyfriend might call her "Jane Jane" as a term of endearment.

-ér is the suffix attached to names of younger friends; literally it means "son." It can also be used as a term of endearment for either gender, such as a friend or family member referring to Jane Doe as "Jane-ér."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Brother Nangong! Forget about Sister-in-law for now!" Beichen cut in smoothly, his smile returning forcefully as he squeezed himself between Su Luo and Nangong Liuyun. At his words, Nangong Liuyun's frosted gaze fell squarely on the top of his head. Shuddering, he squeezed their shoulders even more tightly. "Or keep her well in the front of your mind! But listen to me while you're making dove-eyes at each other!" He paused, his dimples disappearing briefly; the eyes Su Luo and Nangong Liuyun were making at him now could hardly be called affectionate. "Once my head is out of the way."

Nangong Liuyun's stare intensified; it was a good thing Beichen Ying's level was close enough to avoid the spontaneous combustion that might have followed from that glare otherwise.

"We came to invite Brother Nangong out drinking!" he blurted out. "You know there's no way we'd let you leave without saying goodbye to us first!"

"Who's brothers?" Nangong interjected, his face sullen.

"That's right," An Ye Ming added. "Falling in love is no reason to forget the bonds of brotherhood, my friend."

"Not interested," Nangong Liuyun said bluntly.

Beichen Ying gave Su Luo's shoulder a light squeeze. "Sister-in-law is invited too, of course!"

"Not - " Su Luo clipped off her answer as Beichen Ying turned his head to give her a panicked, pleading look. One which was fairly easy to interpret.

 _Say yes, Sister-in-law. Can't you see I'm in a fragile position, oh? It's true, I interrupted Nangong Liuyun's cuddle time. I'm about to die here, you know? Won't you extend your hand to this brother-in-law?_

"... ready to go out yet," she said with another internal sigh. Well, Beichen Ying had saved her from Nangong's wandering hands. Before putting the idea of _dual cultivation_ into his head directly afterwards. It was a lucky thing Nangong was leaving soon, before _that_ idea could come to fruition.

Reaching out, she pinched the skin of Beichen Ying's cheek between her thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. Ignoring his wince of pain, she pulled a little harder. "But how can your Sister-in-law refuse the cute face of this smiling kid? Let me go and I'll freshen up."

Beichen Ying released her immediately, though he was still held back by a now grim-looking Nangong. The look of desperation on his face had been replaced by one of consternation. Ignoring the looming presence holding him by the neck, he pointed at himself. "Smiling kid? But I'm as old as everyone else here! Don't you mean Lan Xuan by that?"

"Hey!" Lan Xuan huffed, pulling the blood-stained handkerchief from his nose. "I don't smile that much!"

"Come now, admit you're both kids," An Ye Ming interjected.

"Definitely not cute," Nangong Liuyun growled as he tightened his grip and shook Beichen Ying about.

"Beichen's the delinquent and Lan's the village idiot," An Ye Ming continued blithely.

"Oh? And what does that make you?" Lan Xuan said hotly.

"The smart one," An Ye Ming replied with a smug expression. "Brother Nangong, Beichen's face is turning purple. Maybe you should ease up a bit? He still needs that throat to drink."

Nangong Liuyun shook Beichen Ying by the ruff once more, as though scolding a mischievous puppy, and tossed him to the ground.

Scrambling to his feet, Beichen Ying coughed twice before zeroing in on Su Luo. "Why are you calling me a kid anyway? You're the youngest of us all! Shouldn't we be calling you the kid?"

Su Luo scowled at him; it was easy to forget sometimes how young this body of hers was when she was reborn, when she had the mind of a grown woman. Still, wasn't Beichen Ying being a bit immature? Su Luo took a breath to answer him, but Nangong Liuyun acted more quickly.

"Watch what you say to my woman!" Beichen Ying's face kissed the ground once more as Nangong Liuyun's fist landed on top of his head. "Besides, you're not a kid." Nangong Liuyun's scowl eased into a smirk. "Little Ying-ér is this king's favorite pet. Now be a good boy and stop yapping at Luo Luo."

Beichen Ying's eyes flashed briefly, before he began to cry exaggerated tears of distress as he rubbed at the goose egg now rising from the top of his head.

Su Luo's brows knit together. Granted, Beichen Ying always liked to needle those around him; on the other hand, Nangong Liuyun valued that rebellious streak. Beichen Ying was his closest friend. Still, wasn't this too much? She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a loud laugh.

"Who's the village idiot, huh?" Lan Xuan laughed and knocked Beichen Ying on the shoulder companionably. "That's what you get for annoying Brother Nangong! We might be the same age, but the difference between him and us is the space between heaven and earth!"

"But this is why Brother Nangong favors you the most of us all. You're the only one who likes to court death around him," An Ye Ming added with a smile. "And you get away with it too, with that silver tongue of yours!"

Beichen Ying flashed them a smile, still rubbing his head as he rose to his feet. "Yes yes, you're right of course. This brother knows better than to argue with Sister-in-law!"

* * *

... it is so hard to write in this semi-poetic verse to capture the "sound" of a translation. I have no idea what I'm doing, writing in this style is a bit like smashing it out in an attempt at poetry for me. I guess you could say it depends on the skill of the translator, but I've read a lot of LNs, and Chinese (and Japanese) LNs each have their own very unique flavors, no matter who is doing the translating. I suspect it comes inherently from the way the language is structured. I find it fascinating and beautiful to read, compared to very direct American English and slightly less direct but still straightforward British and German English styles.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Su Luo frowned at Beichen Ying's carefree smile. Was this the way it was between Nangong Liuyun and his brothers? Could he really stand the humiliation of being called a pet? It was not her original impression of the cheerful boy. Crossing her arms, she lifted a brow at Beichen Ying. "Humph. Don't you think you're acting too pathetic just now? Are you really a dog? If I say roll over, will you show me your belly? If I say bark, will you speak?" _Is one goose-egg on your head the price of your self-respect?_

Beichen Ying smiled even wider, showing his sharp teeth. " _Younger_ Sister-in-law, if _Nangong_ says roll, I roll. If _he_ says bark, I bark. This little dog thanks you for your concern, but I am Nangong's special pet, not Sister-in-law's. Master Nangong feeds me and scratches behind my ears, so I serve him well. But if he plays too rough, he knows I might bite."

Nangong Liuyun smirked at Beichen Ying. "So bold. Try to bite this king and prepare to lose some teeth." But there was no killing aura about him as he said this; indeed, it seemed like this was normal banter between the two friends.

"True, true, but _little_ Sister-in-law is only a fifth-ranked _junior_. I'm merely saying she is not strong enough to hold my leash." Beichen Ying snapped his mouth at Su Luo for effect.

"Childish." The corner of Su Luo's lip lifted in a half-smile as Beichen Ying resumed his pout at her response. So Beichen Ying still had some bite; he just lost his teeth when Nangong scolded him. Who knew he was still smarting so much from being called a little kid? Even if this body technically was younger, he was only barely her senior. His cultivation rank was much higher than hers, but Su Luo would not allow that to last for long.

Nangong grunted in amusement, seeing the sparks crackle between them. "Who's strong. Don't underestimate my Luo Luo, no matter how strong you think you are, her luck will always be stronger than yours." His eyes gleamed with interest. "In fact, let's make a wager. Not only is my Luo Luo strong enough to master a seventh-ranked general, she will have you grovelling at her feet and begging to be called a smiling kid by the time I return."

Beichen Ying scratched his head and smiled in confusion. "But don't I do enough grovelling already?"

Su Luo snorted. "So eager to throw your pride to the ground, _kid,_ then I'll happily trample on it."

Lan Xuan's eyes were wide as he watched the exchange. "Does Beichen Ying want a matching bump on the other side of his head?" he whispered to An Ye Ming. "Why is he still arguing with Sister-in-law after what Nangong said?"

"Beichen is only having his fun teasing Su Luo. She gets cuter when she's annoyed!" An Ye Ming hid his troubled smile. _I see you noticed too, Beichen. But be careful not to have too much fun. Su Luo's destiny has already been claimed by Nangong Liuyun._

"Maybe," Lan Xuan said with some doubt, ignorant of An Ye Ming's troubled thoughts. "But Nangong sure doesn't. I always think we're going to die when he gets upset!"

"I worry about that too," An Ye Ming replied as he eyed Beichen Ying.

Nangong smiled indulgently at Su Luo. "Luo Luo, I am serious. While I am away cultivating, I will not be able to leave and protect you. Therefore I am asking Brother Beichen to look after your safety personally in my place."

Su Luo let out another small sigh. She knew what Nangong was saying was right; at the fifth level, she was still an easy target for the Jade Lake family, not to mention Emperor Jing or even her own treacherous Su family. No matter what she thought of Nangong's assignment of a babysitter, she couldn't turn this advantage away.

Beichen Ying's pout fell, and he straightened at the announcement. Dropping into a formal bow, he clasped his hands together towards Nangong Liuyun. "This one will protect Sister-in-law! If someone is foolish enough to plot, they will have to go through me first, I swear it!"

"Don't be so melodramatic," Nangong Liuyun said to Beichen Ying with an air of boredom. "Who under this sky can outfox the Beichen family? My loyal pet dog is in reality a cunning fox, isn't he?"

Beichen Ying smirked. "It's only the truth, brother!" He turned to Su Luo. "Don't worry, Sister-in-law! I will still protect you with my life, even if you can't show this elder brother the proper respect!"

"You're the one who should worry," Nangong Liuyun replied with a grin of his own as a palm descended onto Beichen Ying's shoulder, forcefully holding him in place. Nangong Liuyun faced Su Luo. "As for you, I also have a task. I expect you to teach Brother Beichen proper manners towards my future wife. You now hold my pet fox's leash."

Beichen Ying's eyes widened slightly. "That was just a joke, though. Right? You don't actually expect me to act like her pet... ? "

Nangong continued speaking as he smiled at Su Luo. "Where you go, Beichen Ying goes. Where you sleep, Beichen Ying sleeps. Where your shadow falls, Beichen Ying's shadow falls. Treat him as one of your house's manservants if you like. I've heard this fox also knows how to pour tea."

Beichen Ying sputtered in protest.

Nangong Liuyun's grip on Beichen Ying's shoulder tightened. "Ah, and you have my permission to break him if you like."

"Hmm," Su Luo said with a faint smile. "I always did want a little brother."

Beichen Ying hung his head with a low whine.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Su Luo woke to a persistent tapping on her door. Groaning, she passed a hand over her eyes. Who was disturbing her so early this morning, after a night of hard drinking with Nangong Liuyun and his friends? The sun had not even risen yet! "Yes?" she said calmly, tamping down her irritation.

Cautiously, Lu Luo stuck her head inside. "Mistress? Are you awake?"

"Guess," Su Luo replied with some censure. "Did I not command you to turn away visitors until sunrise at least? I wish to begin my cultivation today." _Or to sleep until my tongue returns to its original size._ Both were reasons for Su Luo to return to the Southern Mountains, rather than the Wisteria Courtyard of the Su family. After last night, Su Luo was certain she would be unable to stomach even the mere the appearance of her pathetic family, and she wished to cultivate seriously in peace.

Nangong Liuyun had left early that morning; Su Luo had only the faint, dizzy memory of a hand against her forehead. She knew he was determined to stabilize and break through to the next level as quickly as possible; she, too, must share in his determination. In a world full of tigers the weak could only be eaten!

Su Luo pursed her lips; this lesson she was taught most by Nangong Liuyun himself. Since she had agreed to return his affection, he no longer pressed for her attention as forcibly. But this was not because of Su Luo's own will. This was Nangong Liuyun's "gift" to her - his gift of patience. There was no one in the entire kingdom who would be so foolish as to hope that Nangong Liuyun had great reserves of this seldom-seen treasure. And now he was to become stronger! To have the strength to say no even to Nangong Liuyun, that was something Su Luo must definitely obtain soon.

"Mistress…" Lu Luo bowed again, her face uncertain. "Are you feeling unwell? Is it because Prince Jin has left?"

Su Luo curved her lips into a wry smile. "You might say that. Tell me, why did you wake me so early? Did you think it would help me forget his journey?"

Lu Luo flushed bright red and bowed deeply. "This humble servant offers one thousand apologies! I didn't want to wake you, but the young master insisted." Lu Luo huffed in indignation as she related the order, her face flushing red. "He said he would wake you himself if I did not do it. He may be a friend of Prince Jin, but it's not proper for a man to enter a lady's chambers!"

Su Luo rubbed her head and sipped at her cup of Celestial Spirit water to clear her dry throat. Instantly, her aching head cleared, and she looked at the cup with a pleased expression. _So it's like this for healing the pain of drinking too?_ Standing from her bed, Su Luo allowed Lu Luo to assist her in dressing and tidying her appearance. "A friend of Prince Jin? Only one fox would dare to move so soon after last night's trial."

"Should I try to send him away?" Lu Luo asked nervously, noticing Su Luo's smirk.

 _Beichen Ying. You hope to catch me unguarded? Your head must hurt as much as mine, but you have no Celestial Spirit water to wash it away. Let's see how well you can wear your fox mask today._

"No need." Su Luo strode to the courtyard, opening the doors with the loudest bang she could manage.

Sure enough, Beichen Ying was waiting. His eyes tightened at the noise, but he fell to one knee instantly and his smile did not waver one bit!

"Little brother! Up so early to visit your big Sister?" Su Luo made sure to pitch her voice as loud and high as a screeching monkey.

Beichen Ying gave his widest dimpled smile, but in his heart he was extremely disappointed. Not only was Su Luo not upset, she was perfectly composed from head to toe. It was as if she had drunk nothing at all the previous night! Was this really the magic of women's makeup? So unfair! "Yes! Isn't it a beautiful morning? I almost could not bring myself to stand from the sheer _joy_ I felt at waking. It must be extremely beautiful for you too!"

 _You drank so much last night that I am surprised you woke at all,_ Su Luo thought. What devotion, to drag himself out this early in the morning to compete! Well, Beichen Ying should be rewarded for such dedication, should he not? "So honored you came quickly to share your joy with me. We should celebrate this wonderful life with a meal, yes?" She turned to Lu Luo. "Bring us fragrant rice, pickled cucumbers and fried tofu. The fermented sort. And some fatty duck with plum sauce!" Clapping her hands together loudly, Su Luo turned and smiled at the rich shade of green on Beichen Ying's face.

"No need to celebrate with such a bounty, Sister-in-law!" Beichen Ying said very quickly, feeling his stomach rumble in protest. "I ate before coming over!"

"Ah, but you are being such a good little brother! I want to spoil you with sweets! Lu Luo, wait, bring us the green tea and sticky rice as well!"

Lu Luo bowed again and again, looking somewhat smug as Beichen Ying changed from a frog to a ghost. "Right away, miss. It will be a feast like none before! I can smell it already," she said with a gloat.

Su Luo nodded in approval as the girl left. She was learning well; a bit more training like this, and Lu Luo might even be able to survive in Nangong Liuyun's court. Turning her attention back to Beichen Ying, she smiled and patted his shoulder. "No need to kneel! Let us sit at the table to eat."


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

 **I'm officially abandoning this fiction. Not just because of the stylistic difficulty and whether or not it's even appropriate for me to attempt to write it, but more because I have deep, irreconcilable differences with the way the author of this story deals with womens' issues, particularly those of rape and sexual abuse. After having done a lot of work with a scanlating group converting Chinese manga to English as well as reading more light novels than I care to admit, I have deep, passionate feelings about the way women and their sexual rights are portrayed in 90% of these works. I can't bring myself to further that even in the fandom, and I do apologize for that but I can't continue this.**

 **Chapter 5**

Su Luo tugged on Beichen Ying's arm, but he pulled away from her with a pout.

"You're doing this on purpose, Sister-in-law," Beichen Ying said. "How are you able to look so refreshed after last night's drinking? Even if I took a spirit restoration pill I am not ready for fermented tofu! Call back your maid!"

Su Luo smiled even more. "No. Now come, little brother, the food is waiting. It will make you feel very special. Perhaps even as special as I felt when Lu Luo announced your visit so early this morning."

"Not standing." Beichen Ying crossed his arms and fell into a sulk.

"Not wasting food. Lu Luo will surround you with dishes on this very floor."

Beichen Ying rubbed the back of his head with a wince and continued to pout like a child.

Crouching beside him, Su Luo dropped her chin into her palm. "Stubborn? Just like a little brother, really. Ok, I will call my maid back, I prefer when you are smiling, not bratty like this."

Beichen Ying looked away with a huff and said nothing.

"Not cute anymore," Su Luo said, her expression souring. "I only want a little brother if he's cute."

This made Beichen Ying glance from the corner of his eye. "Woof."

Su Luo blinked. "Use words. I want a little brother, not a big baby. Not going to change your diapers also, you know?"

"Woof!" Beichen Ying repeated, looking offended. Seeing Su Luo's blank expression, he dropped his head with a sigh. "If don't want to be Sister-in-law's little brother, then I have to be Sister-in-law's pet like Nangong said. Dogs can't speak." He turned his head away again. "Woof."

 _Hmm. Maybe still just a little bit cute,_ Su Luo thought. "I thought you were a fox, not a dog." Seeing Beichen Ying not answer, she poked him with a finger again. "So? What does the fox say?"

"The secret of the fox, ancient mystery," Beichen Ying hummed sullenly.

Su Luo's brow wrinkled. A fox might have many talents but singing wasn't one, all right? "Stop singing please. It's too early!"

Beichen Ying stopped humming with a look of exaggerated surprise. "Since when do you ask nicely, Sister-in-law? Didn't Nangong tell you to be very strict with your pet?" He rolled on the floor on his hands and knees.

So now he's annoyed about that too? And what was this dance he was doing now on the ground? If Lu Luo came back she might think Beichen Ying was poisoned! Just how did this guy get stuck to the bottom of her shoe the first day after Nangong Liuyun was gone? "Fine," Su Luo sighed, feeling a new headache come back. "I order you to stop crawling and yipping like a dog. Are you happy now?"

Beichen Ying sat up and scratched his head. For once he looked thoughtful. "Don't know?"

Su Luo slapped her forehead. "Don't know? You really are a kid! Does someone else dress and feed you too?"

Beichen Ying's face darkened. "Enough with that joke already! I don't mind being your pet, but why are you always calling me a kid? I'm two years older than you, you know? And two levels stronger!"

Su Luo watched him straighten like a stubborn dog sitting on its heels. "You're sitting on my floor pouting. How are you not a kid?"

Huffing, Beichen Ying stood up and dusted his robes clean. "If I'm the kid then how come you're the one who needs babysitting then?"

Su Luo also stood up, growing annoyed; even with her back straight, Beichen Ying really was taller than her. This body was just too short! And now that he was looking at her sternly, it's not like she could deny it. Just looking at him reminded Su Luo of how far she had to travel still. _With my cultivation level like this, even Nangong Liuyun's friends are stronger than me!_

Beichen Ying's stern expression dropped Su Luo stopped sharpening her tongue on him. Instead, he patted her consolingly on the shoulder and smiled brightly. "It's all right. I know how you are feeling, I shouldn't have pushed Sister-in-law this much."

This made Su Luo's brow wrinkle even more. "What do you know, oh? Seventh level! Nangong Liuyun's best friend! Not even a woman! Fortune doesn't smile on the weak. If this world wants to trample me so badly, then I will make sure I am the one who is doing the stepping in the end!"

Beichen Ying's smile fell away and his hand on her shoulder grew heavy. "I am not joking! Sister-in-law wants to gain power to crush the bugs that bite her? You are the bug right now, you know. Are you saying I should crush you if I don't like it when you call me little brother? And then Nangong Liuyun should crush me as punishment? Who will crush Nangong Liuyun next then? Beyond this mountain there are greater mountains, beyond this man there are greater men."

Su Luo pursed her lips, her face still and cold. "Want to spin a nicer tale then? You have some guts to speak like that to me. You also bow to Nangong Liuyun, just like everyone!"

* * *

Footnotes

 _At this point in the story, in terms of power Su Luo is a level four and Beichen Ying is at the start of level seven. I think Nangong Liuyun is off training to achieve level ten? Or nine? Something better than everyone else his age._

 _I hope all of you are familiar with Ylvis to get Beichen Ying's "The Fox" joke. If not, Luo White did record a Chinese version of the song which may or may not be as "good" as the original. ;-)_

 _"Beyond this mountain there are mountains, beyond this man there are men." This is taking serious English liberties with the translation of **山外有山 人外有人** **.** Which basically means "there's always somebody better than you."_


End file.
